I got my earlobes pierced when I was 8, then my left helix (upper cartilage of the ear) done when I turned 13, then just a few weeks ago I got a second set of earlobe piercings (I'm 20 now)
I love all my piercings! Definitely not very many and not so adventurous, but they make me happy and look aaaawesome!

They all hurt, for sure. I got my first earlobe piercings done at claire's with a gun (I didn't KNOWWW!!) and it was no fun.. but it was a long time ago so who cares
The helix piercing was painful, but not awful if I remember right. Took quite some time to heal, as cartilage does, but it's awesome now, and definitely my favorite piercing.
The new ear piercings are still tender.. they got a little infected about a week and a half after I got them, so I'm trying hard to take good care of them. They're still a little screwy, though -.- no fun! But it's just the earlobes so I'm confident it won't take long for them to get better with proper care.

I think piercings are okay for teenagers (for the most part) but it gets really touchy when you're talking about younger kids.
I know I wanted my ears done when I was 8 and never regretted it, and indeed I cursed my parents for not getting it done when I was a baby. But now, I don't really think it's appropriate to pierce infants. While earlobe piercings are perfectly acceptable in society for girls, I think that decision should be made when they're at least a little older. That's just my thought on it, of course.
When it comes to more obvious piercings, especially facial piercings, that's definitely something that should be waited for. I think 18 is a fairly decent cutoff for it, but I'm sure there are some people who have gotten facial piercings younger than that who are totally fine with it. It's just a little bit more of a commitment to make than piercings on the ears or somewhere else where they're not necessarily "obtrusive."
Totally rambling.. piercings are pretty subjective, and need to be decided on with care. They're less permanent than tattoos, but are still an alteration to the body and should be 100% wanted!

I had my lobes done when I was a baby, so I don't remember that.

But I got my tragus done about 6 months ago. I'm told it hurts less than lobes since there are less nerves there. However, because it get less blood flow, healing is about 2 months completely.

Still totally worth it for me. It really doesn't hurt that much. I expected much worse.

I have 5 lobes on each side, three left helix, one industrial on my right ear, both tragus' and both rooks for my ears. Nostril, tongue, lip, nipples, belly button. I got most of them after I turned 18 (had 4 lobes and my belly button before I turned 18), and they all had varying degrees of pain associated with them. Tragus's and even the rooks didn't really hurt much, and neither did the lobes. All the outer cartilage ones hurt like hell, and took forever to heal. My tongue didn't hurt to get pierced, but hurt for the week it was swollen afterwards. My lip didn't hurt the first time but it had to be repierced in the same session to avoid the back resting on my tooth and the second time it hurt and bled and got very swollen. I have two in my belly button, and want to get a third but healing the last one went so well that I haven't bothered getting it done yet.

As for kids, I think it depends on what piercing they want. A few in their lobes, not that big a deal to me. One or two in the upper cartilage, same thing. Bell button, nose, lip, or eyebrow I wouldn't let them do before 16, and a tongue or anything more complex like a surface piercing I would probably make them wait til 18 and can show me they've done all the research on their own.

I currently just have ears pierced a few times.

When I was a bit younger, I did have my eyebrow, belly button, and nipples pierced. My eyebrow did not hurt too bad, and neither did my belly button. My nipples were a bit sensitive, but it was well worth it. I was not into the hoops, I thought they looked a bit silly, so I just wore bar bells. I waited until I was 18 to get my nipples and eyebrow pierced.

I think it is okay for younger to kids to ask for their ears to be pierced. As far as other body parts, I am not too sure about it. My eyebrow ring was torn out in an accident, and left a pretty nasty scar. My nipple rings also damaged me a bit (due to the fault of the piercer). So, I think for anything other than ears and belly button, 18 is the appropriate age.

I've had my nips done (righty had to get done twice) and had my navel done twice. Yes, I was that guy with the pierced navel. Then I got bored of them and took them all out.

Personally, I've got one piercing in each ear....my tongue is pierced and I have a labret piercing

I got my lobes pierced in seventh grade. I never really wanted them done before that. I remember that it hurt, but not terribly bad. On my 18th birthday my sister and I got industrial piercings together. That hurt really bad, and I heard it was one of the worse piercings to get. It healed quickly and I've had absolutely no problems with it in 3 years.

I have three holes in my ear lobes, first one was done by my mom, the second one was done with a needle and the third one was done with a piercing earring. I also have my nose pierced. I did my daughters as a baby, but that is about it, anything else she has to wait till she is 18. I don't think any child should get anything outrageous until they are older.

I have wanted to get piercings so badly but because my ears seem to never be able to take, I am afraid to try elsewhere.

Three time in my life (as a child, teen and adult) I have tried to pierce my ears, I keep them in for the time period and turn them. Take very good care of them. Each time they close up so quickly like I have the regenerative healing of Wolverine. Its quite amazing and annoying all at the same time.

I have my ears double pierced. Got both of those done when I was 18. I had them done prior, but they got infected and had to take them out. Now I'm old enough and know better to take care of them. I got them done at walmart, I know, shoot me now. But I'm 20 now and they are doing just fine.

Then I have my lip ring, which I got when I was 19. Didn't hurt at all really. But when it was swollen it was irritating.

Then I have my tongue done, gotten a few months after my lip, and that surprisingly didn't hurt at all. I was so freaking when I got it because I thought it was going to hurt, but NOPE! Not a bit. But it did hurt like a bitch when it was healing. My tongue was swollen, I couldn't talk.

I'm ready to get my nipples done.. But kinda scared.